Senator Hassan Cosponsors Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Federal Cybersecurity Workforce

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, cosponsored bipartisan legislation to help develop and retain highly-skilled cybersecurity professionals in the federal workforce. Agencies across the federal government face growing cyber threats, but struggle to hire and retain qualified cybersecurity employees.

“An obvious way to enhance the federal government’s cybersecurity is by investing in and hiring cybersecurity experts, but federal agencies often can’t compete with the salaries of private companies,” Senator Hassan said. “This bipartisan bill will help provide important incentives to attract and retain cyber experts in the federal government and in turn strengthen our national security.”

Government agencies often cannot compete with the salaries and other benefits offered by tech giants in Silicon Valley, but they provide valuable opportunities to serve the country and defend our cyber front lines. The Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act creates a civilian personnel rotation program for cybersecurity professionals at federal agencies. This program would enable employees to serve across multiple government agencies, allowing them to gain experience beyond their primary assignment and expand their professional networks. The legislation will provide opportunities to help attract and retain cybersecurity experts in the federal government by offering civilian employees opportunities to enhance their careers, broaden their professional experience, and foster collaborative networks by experiencing and contributing to the cyber mission beyond their home agencies.

Senator Hassan is leading bipartisan efforts to strengthen national cybersecurity at every level of government. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022 that was signed into law includes Senators Hassan and John Cornyn’s (R-TX) bipartisan amendment to ensure that the National Guard can help state and local governments and businesses improve their cybersecurity. In addition, the bipartisan infrastructure law includes Senator Hassan’s measure to create a state and local cybersecurity grant program. Furthermore, Senator Hassan previously passed into law her measure to create a Cybersecurity Coordinator in every state including New Hampshire to help federal, state, and local governments, as well as schools, hospitals, and other entities, coordinate and better protect their systems against cyberattacks.

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